NFL Preseason Schedule 2013: Breaking Down Most Important Exhibition Matchups

Even though the National Football League preseason doesn’t count for anything, that doesn’t mean that the exhibitions aren’t important.

Take the final game of the preseason for the Buffalo Bills, for instance. When the Detroit Lions come to town, many will be watching to see the result of that game. Why, you ask? Well, that’ll likely be the game when the franchise’s starting quarterback for Week 1 will be determined.

Buffalo has a pair of quarterbacks battling for the starting job this season: veteran Kevin Kolb and rookie EJ Manuel. Head coach Doug Marrone said his decision as to who will get the nod come the season opener will probably come around 10 or 12 days before the year commences, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com.

Here’s what Marrone had to say via the Associated Press (h/t NFL.com):

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You like to sit there as a coach and say you’d like that decision to just come up in front of you. Really if you can get 10, 12 days prior to that first game, that’s when you’re going to get pressed for time and have to make a decision on a quarterback. That’s when you’re probably going to start preparing, 10 days out of the first game.

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Let’s say Kolb and Manuel are neck and neck after three preseason games. That could mean whoever performs better against the Lions could start the season as the No. 1 guy on the depth chart while the other sits behind him as the backup. It is interesting that Marrone said he’d like the “decision to just come up in front of you.”

That’s because it basically did the other day. Kolb slipped on a rubber mat during practice and injured his knee, although he’s considered day to day, according to Sal Maiorana of USA Today. That seems like a sign that Manuel is going to be starting against the New England Patriots in Week 1, if you ask me.

Kolb should still be ready to go for the duration of the preseason, though, and he will likely cause the race to go down to the wire. Marrone could name his starter prior to the matchup against the Lions, but if he isn’t 100 percent sure who he should choose, it’ll likely come down to that August 29 exhibition.

Aside from the Bills taking on the Lions in the final week of the preseason, here’s a look at a few other exhibitions you need to watch in the coming weeks.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Jets

Game Info: Thursday, August 29 (Week 4) at 7 p.m. ET

The Bills aren’t the only franchise yet to name a starting quarterback for the season. Both the Eagles and Jets are trying to determine who should get the nod for the 2013 opener: Michael Vick or Nick Foles and Geno Smith or Mark Sanchez. Both battles will draw a lot of attention due to the players involved.

Vick and Foles saw considerable time a year ago. Vick threw for 2,362 yards with 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Foles completed a higher percentage of his passes—although he had nearly 100 fewer attempts—and finished the season with 1,699 yards, eight touchdowns and five picks.

While Vick is likely the front-runner heading into the preseason, there’s a chance Foles comes away with the job entering Week 1. The incumbent has been solid for the Eagles, but due to a lack of success as of late—missing the playoffs in each of the last two seasons—it may be time to change things up under center.

On the other side of the field, Sanchez will be hoping to keep his job for just a little bit longer. He wasn’t sharp at all for the Jets last season, completing 54.3 percent of his passes for 2,883 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Coach Rex Ryan won’t need a lot of persuasion to make him the backup.

But that’ll only be the case if Smith can step up. New York selected the quarterback in the second round of this year’s draft, and he is sure to give Sanchez a run for his money. The only thing restricting the rookie might be his conditioning, which was called “embarrassing” recently, according to Dan Hanzus of NFL.com.

New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

Game Info: Thursday, August 29 (Week 4) at 7:30 p.m. ET

These two organizations are somewhat familiar with each other, I believe. Actually, I don’t believe—I know. The New York Giants have gotten the best of the New England Patriots in a pair of recent Super Bowls—in 2008 at Super Bowl XLII and again in 2012 at Super Bowl XLVI.

This exhibition won’t have nearly a quarter of the intensity as those two matchups, but this is definitely a game you can’t afford to miss. It features two of the top quarterbacks in the NFL in Eli Manning and Tom Brady, and both teams should be in the mix for a spot in the playoffs at the end of the regular season.

The Patriots enter the preseason with many more unanswered questions than their NFC rivals. But by the fourth week, we should know whether Tim Tebow will make the team—if he isn’t cut by then—and if Brady has enough talent in terms of wide receivers and tight ends to lead New England to the postseason.

We should also be able to tell if New York’s defense is going to better than it was a year ago. The Giants allowed the 28th-most passing yards per game and the 25th-most rushing yards per game in 2012. It won’t be easy to win a Super Bowl when the defense is giving up hundreds of yards each game like it did last season.

The starters will be on the field for a significant portion of this game in all likelihood, meaning you’re bound to catch some good football. Plus, you have to tune in any time Bill Belichick is going up against Tom Coughlin. They are two of the best coaches in the game squaring off in what should be an exciting contest.

All statistics in this article were obtained via ESPN unless otherwise noted.